Blackbird Ice Axe

The Blue Ice Blackbird is a straight-shafted classic mountaineering ice axe built for glacier travel, alpine approaches, and moderate snow and ice terrain. Its Chromoly steel head — hot forged and ergonomically shaped — provides a more rigid and effectively lighter anchoring platform than standard stainless steel at equivalent weight, while the aircraft-grade anodized aluminium shaft keeps overall weight to 330g at 49cm. Assembled at the foot of Mont Blanc in Chamonix.

• Chromoly steel head — Chromoly (chrome-molybdenum alloy steel) is significantly stronger and stiffer than standard stainless steel at the same weight, allowing a more effective ergonomic head geometry without adding mass to the pick, adze, or overall balance.
• Aircraft-grade anodized aluminium shaft — sandblasted for grip, anodized for corrosion resistance; the straight shaft is the correct geometry for classic mountaineering, glacier travel, and self-arrest technique.
• Dual-textured grip — grip zone uses two distinct textures to provide secure handling across a range of conditions and grip positions.
• Type 1/B certified — Type 1 denotes a classic straight-shaft walking axe, appropriate for moderate snow and glacier terrain; B (Basic) is the standard CE EN 13 089 load certification for mountaineering axes.
• Pick, adze, and spike protectors included — three dedicated protectors ship with the axe for safe transport and storage; most comparable axes at this price point do not include all three.
• Available in four lengths — 49cm, 54cm, 60cm, and 67cm, covering the full range of terrain angles and user heights for classic mountaineering use.
• Optional personalised engraving — Blue Ice offer custom engraving on the back edge of the shaft, just below the head, as standard across the range. A discreet way to identify your axe in a guide's quiver or shared gear rack.

The Blackbird pairs naturally with crampons for classic mountaineering objectives — see our full crampon range or check our mountaineering gear checklist to build a complete kit.

Downloads: EU Declaration of Conformity · Ice Axe Instructions